Hays CISD officials say they do not know what caused a light mast at Sheldon Stadium to collapse on Friday except that wind was a factor.

The mast fell away from spectators attending a soccer game and collapsed through the roof of next door Bales Gymnasium. Work crews worked through the night to remove three identical poles installed at the stadium in 2002.

“We ask for your patience and flexibility as we put the pieces back together,” interim superintendent Carter Scherff said in a written statement.

The poles’ manufacturer, a company called Whitco, was cited for design flaws that caused a pole at a Worcester, Mass. high school to collapse in 2007, the Austin American-Statesman reported in today’s editions.

The gym could be closed through the end of summer for repairs, district officials said. The stadium field will be available for daytime use until the lights are replaced.